Focus on making and enjoying the best decisions AT EACH TURN. Take your time solving the puzzle.
The rest is laughable RNG, and maybe some extra experience (in optimally predicting your opponent's possible moves, and your possible future powerturns), but not your fault anyway.
So enjoy your final rush, whatever the outcome.
wow u make it sound like winning is just pure rng. its not. sometimes it is sure. but some decks are more consistent than others in terms of rng
Man you keep misreading what I write.
"The rest [from "the best decisions at each turn"] is laughable RNG, AND maybe some extra experience"
I don't make winning sound like pure RNG, that's just what you understood. Please read more carefully.
[Hearthstone Card (Raza the unchained) Not Found] + [Hearthstone Card (shadowreaper) Not Found] anduin is a misleading comparison: the HP from DK is a specific one, which you can deckbuild around. Finley changes your HP to an unpredictable one: even if a card like raza the unchained was released for Paladin, Finley would still be a weak Highlander card, because of lack proper synergy.
Finley is basically this: moderately random raw power.
That's why an aldor attendant buff would make him substantially better (even if still quite bad, but at least not the worst anymore, arguably).
C'thun was a full-Neutral set, so it's ok that some classes can benefit more than others.
But here we're talking of CLASS Highlander cards. Without a Kazakus available to make up for Class variability.
Inkmaster solia is indeed a good example of a failed Highlander card. But it was correctly replaced with Reno the Relicologist (Mage is currently the class with the most Highlander support, and Reno Mage is a solid meta deck, so it's ok if one of their cards is actually bad).
The suggestions I made were just the minimal buffs that came up to me, as to make them realistic ones, in tune with recent buffs that were actually delivered by the devs. And certainly without the risk of breaking the meta, neither in Standard, nor in Wild. Because the number of options available for Discovery is higher than the available choice.
Surely, an entirely different design could also work. Definitely.
But really, it would be just that easy to make it fair already, especially if we consider it is at (2) probably just because of a potential bias by the community.
I guess I'll hold my hopes for a Rotation buff set!
As a partial OT, following all the replies that argued that sir finley is fine, I actually crafted the card and built this Tempo Reno Paladin in Wild. It doesn't make me change my mind over the necessity of a buff on Sir Finley of the Sands, and the card itself performs quite poorly even in this deck, which is basically built around him (it's Aggro/Tempo because slower Midrange doesn't exist in Wild, not without OTK or so much Value that Paladin can only dream about), but overall the deck is quite good.
While lots of upgraded hero powers are useful for aggressive decks, the whole archetype fairly fundamentally goes against using your hero power lots of times so I'm not too surprised Finley wasn't that powerful in it. I am interested in whether Reno was useful most of the time; I suppose he is at least an insurance policy against aggro decks that get a better start.
The only part of your entire argument I have any real issue with is the use of the word 'necessity'. This may not have been meant too literally, but when discussing an objectively good card when played (vanilla stats with strong long-term up-side) in a game that has many cards that end up weak links even in decks built for them (e.g. Tak Nozwhisker) it is easy to see why few people are more than indifferent about it.
I also find it a bit peculiar that you made this thread before you even had the card to try him for yourself, but that's more of a quiet observation than a complaint.
As you said, Reno here acts as an insurance vs Aggro games, when you fail to outtempo them.
My whole point about the "necessity" word was about making Sir Finley of the Sands as useful as his comrades from Uldum. Thos have immediate impact, Finley cannot, so he could use a better statline (1/3 at (1)), in order to have better chances of tutoring him, as well as having one extra turn on-curve to benefit from the HP (if you manage to mulligan him ofc). Basically ALL classes in Wild can have major benefits from a Highlander list (be it meta or offmeta), while the window for that in Paladin is extremely narrow (and will always be because of the design limitation in the class, ie. no efficient board clears). Paladin does not, despite receiving an additional Highlander card.
Ofc nothing in this game is necessary, not even the game itself.
I also made this thread before having the card, because I already was sure of his outcome. While, on the other hand, I would have crafted him long ago if he was a 1/3 for (1) (in the same way I crafted Elise the Enlightened), not because of him being OP in that way, but because I like little cards that require deckbuilding and with subtle impact in the games. Subtle, but no marginal. At (2) he's still subtle, sometimes game-winning, but ecceedingly marginal for a Highlander card.
I know legendaries could be bad. But this is a Highlander Legendary, not a random The Boogeymonster.
If it turns out to be not good enough even in Wild, it means the card is just not good enough. Cards don't live in the empty space, but in context. And there is no context for which a DISCOVERED HP can carry you for a game, unless it reliably kicks in as soon as possible.
PS: as others have mentioned, all the Uldum Explorers have the same body as their previous iterations. The fact that Finley is different suggests he WAS 1/3 for (1), but he was tuned to (2). Probably because the devs were afraid of giving to the Standard players PTSD after Even/Odd. But obviously that's not the case. It can't be, because of Discover filter (ie can't build proper synergy).
As a partial OT, following all the replies that argued that sir finley is fine, I actually crafted the card and built this Tempo Reno Paladin in Wild. It doesn't make me change my mind over the necessity of a buff on Sir Finley of the Sands, and the card itself performs quite poorly even in this deck, which is basically built around him (it's Aggro/Tempo because slower Midrange doesn't exist in Wild, not without OTK or so much Value that Paladin can only dream about), but overall the deck is quite good.
Focus on making and enjoying the best decisions AT EACH TURN. Take your time solving the puzzle.
The rest is laughable RNG, and maybe some extra experience (in optimally predicting your opponent's possible moves, and your possible future powerturns), but not your fault anyway.
Even assuming you got a 1/3 in t1 every game (which is impossible, chances are lower than 50% if I remember well), there is no way it can turn as strong as Prince Keleseth was: because no upgraded hero power can be as overwhelming as cards, especially when you can't get the HP you want 100% of the time (so there is always a double RNG filter: card draw AND Discover).
Moreover, Highlander restriction is much harder than Prince restriction. And Prince was deemed oppressive by many, but it was never nerfed.
For Wild:
Same as above: have you ever seen Highlander Tempo (Tempo because Sir Finley of the Sands can provide survival, but it can't provide Value to fight toe to toe against a real Control deck) decks toppling the meta? Secret Mage tried and failed, it never became meta, and for a reason: Tempo requires consistency, and Highlander disrupts that, no matter what.
There will always be cards that are more optimal than others, and for Consistency of Tempo you must use both copies of the optimal cards, and ditch the others. Reno decks improve with the release of key Reno cards, while if the generic pool improves, the Doubleton deck is generally better than its Reno counterpart: ie Control Cubelock vs Renolock right now (despite Warlock having insane legendary cards).
I am really baffled at people being against a Sir Finley of the Sands at 1/3 for (1), both in Standard and even moreso in Wild, where Reno Paladin is nowhere near meta, less so a dangerous deck for meta balance. It would just become slightly more satisfying to play for offmeta junkies...
The card is fine in the its current iteration. It provides a buffed hero power, which is just broken considering that dhunter's buffed hp is 2 attack for 1 mana.
Another argument against it is purely future card design and balances. If it gets too consistent, then devs might just want to avoid those very powerful unconditional cards for paladin in future expansions, not even mentioning its potential in wild.
Also, lets be honest, paladins state of affairs right now is the lack of tempo swing cards, like Rotnest Drake or, dare I say it, the lurker from below, or even just a decent rush minion. Buffing sir finley will boost highlander's paladin chances, but nothing else. Its best to simply address paladin's core issue, than just buffing one very conditional card.
Its potential in Wild would still be very limitedly reliable, given the Discover nature of the card, which is also bound to Highlander restriction, let's not forget it (Odd DH is a full-blown synergic deck built around the HP, Sir Finley can't do that, not even wit the Start of the Game buff suggestion).
I mean, in Wild we have stuff like [Hearthstone Card (Raza the Unchained) Not Found] and Shadowreaper Anduin, a buffed Sir Finley of the Sands pales in front of those (Raza buffs ANY HP in the game, Sir Finley binds you to his choices, and DK Anduin is easily repeatable with any cards, while upgraded HP is not) Or in front of Kazakus himself tbh, who is much more versatile with his double layer of Discovery.
Let's be honest here: there's zero chances that buffing Sir Finley of the Sands gets him even close to the consistency and power level that the devs agreed to provide to many cards in this game, Highlander or not. As long as it is a Discover that randomly offers 3 of 10 options.
And buffs don't really clash with each other. I mean, just look at the great Boomsday Buff patch: most buffs went completely forgotten and didn't really contribute to their classes, in either modes. So what Paladin needs the most right now in Standard is beyond the point of buffing this specific card.
Until his release, the card was debated between skepticals and those who saw potential in this card.
Turns out the card's main weakness is how early you can draw and play it: you need to play the upgraded HP at least a few times, in order to get value from the card.
Which is a bummer, comparing it to the other Highlander cards.
So why not buffing the guy?
A) There are many ways, but an easy one to me is just giving the Aldor Attendant treatment and buff Sir Finley of the Sands to a 1/3 for (1). This would give two benefits:
It could curve out much better, with an upgraded HP slapped directly on t2.
It would still be bound to card draw RNG AND Discover RNG (so you can never deckbuild with soecific HP synergies).
B) Another option would be to turn his effect into a Start of the Game. It would reduce the adaptability of the choice, since you still don't know your opponent besides their class, but I think it would still be a great improvement, and smart players would still be able to predict correctly the best choice, or at least the beneficial jack-of-all-trades choice. This would remove the card draw RNG, leaving the Discover RNG only.
Given the Discover nature of the card (3 random options of 10) I am fairly sure there is hardly any way to make the card suddenly broken (you can never build the deck around specific HP anyway), so any buff would be pretty safe, and it would give Highlander Paladin a chance to shine a bit more, at least as an offmeta deck, and we all know Highlander is always a favored archetype for many, so making it better viable on more classes would be a really smart move.
Further arguments in favor of buffing him here:
Show Spoiler
For Standard: Even assuming you got a 1/3 on t1 every game (which is impossible, chances are lower than 50% if I remember well), there is no way it can turn as strong as Prince Keleseth was: because no RANDOM upgraded HP can be as overwhelming as upgraded CARDS. So there is always a double RNG filter on Finley: card draw AND Discover (whereas Prince only has one level of RNG).
With a random HP, you can never build the deck around one synergy.
For Wild: Same as above: have you ever seen Highlander Tempo (Tempo because Sir Finley of the Sands can provide survival, but it can't provide Value to fight toe to toe against a real Control deck) decks toppling the meta? Secret Mage tried and failed, it never became meta, and for a reason: Tempo requires consistency, and Highlander disrupts that, no matter what.
There will always be cards that are more optimal than others, and for Consistency of Tempo you must use both copies of the optimal cards, and ditch the others. Reno decks improve with the release of key Reno cards, while if the generic pool improves, the Doubleton deck is generally better than its Reno counterpart: ie Control Cubelock vs Renolock right now (despite Warlock having insane legendary cards).
Finally, The fact Paladin may benefit more from other cards has nothing to do with buffing Finley. It's a false conflict (and not an argument here).
In my only case of Legend climb attempt (few minutes ago), it was in Wild, which is possibly easier.
But I made it by taking a deck that proved strong to me (Discolock) and tuned it against the meta I was expecting and actually encountering: in Wild it was full of board&weapon Aggro, so I went for Freeze package (3 cards, not just 1), and it worked really well.
So maybe trying to tech against the meta may help. I don't know how to counter Standard higher meta, or if it is possible at all, but the principle should be of some help.
PS: and yes, as og0 suggested, you need the right state of mind: get rid of expectations, you already reached a great result. Anything that comes now from D4 and on should be taken as a gift. Just play at your best and try to laugh at your bad luck when it happens. Legend rank is a side effect.
Trying to counter the meta you find? Admirable, but mistaken.
Each time i do that, like either changing decks or tech some cards in like silence or oozes, those opponents are gone and only appear like 2 times out of 20 when before it was like 8 or more times.
I hear ppl saying this ALL THE TIME, and it really triggers me cause it just feels like they are playing a different game than me. Like for real give me your account so that i can play against the decks that im ready to face.
Like all those streamers and their youtube videos like "pick this deck and farm the X deck" and im like "bro each time i do that those decks become a rarity to face". Like for real whats the secret behind tech or deck countering and actually facing them? cause i dont know what it is.
I adjusted according to meta reports AND my own experience.
I did NOT adjust according to the previous 2-3 opponents, but according to stats.
Also, I was able to apply the correct techs, that is something that is still good against most other matchups. Not just hard counters to some cards. And I did it in a deck I was already confident about.
Finally, adjusting against local ranks is not a foolproof activity that grants you wins. It just improves your chances to win, and only if you can do it optimally (ie the meta is quite specific as to have counters against a variety of decks, as it was in my case).
In my only case of Legend climb attempt (few minutes ago), it was in Wild, which is possibly easier.
But I made it by taking a deck that proved strong to me (Discolock) and tuned it against the meta I was expecting and actually encountering: in Wild it was full of board&weapon Aggro, so I went for Freeze package (3 cards, not just 1), and it worked really well.
So maybe trying to tech against the meta may help. I don't know how to counter Standard higher meta, or if it is possible at all, but the principle should be of some help.
PS: and yes, as og0 suggested, you need the right state of mind: get rid of expectations, you already reached a great result. Anything that comes now from D4 and on should be taken as a gift. Just play at your best and try to laugh at your bad luck when it happens. Legend rank is a side effect.
Which is ok actually, but he should simply consider better the average value of a DR, and offer a proper reaction, at least when available mana is enforced, at least in one of 3 options
I am still unconvinced of Kanrethad Ebonlocke (sometimes bonkers, sometimes just a 3/2 soft taunt). I never got to play [Hearthstone Card (kanrethad prime,) Not Found] so I think in this meta he can be replaced with a second Frozen Shadoweaver.
I think Freeze is much better than Taunt, because the former subverts initiative.
I never, NEVER wanted to grind for Legend, because I always found it extremely stressful: I always limited myself to r5 and then play my own homebrews.
But with the new system, I must say I felt more lured to it, because there were less stars between D5 and L.
And I actually succeded today without even too much of a grind! Legend for the first time!
I used a Wild Discolock with Freeze package (which worked wonders against DH, PW and mirror). Rank 29xx (can't remember).
I am quite happy with the achievement. Although now I'm not sure it was so much of an achievement tbh, it didn't feel that hard. And I'm not even sure I want to play meta decks for grinds to Diamond ever again?
I definitely like the concept on strength and weaknesses, that's a really good way to merge class flavour with game mechanics.
I like the real plan less.
In particular, I think cards like SI:7 Agent are the epitome of how Rogue should work: damage from hand, together with moderate board presence. Or sneaky moderate board presence with stealth, which you can setup with Cold Blood. Since the Agent is pretty balanced, he should stay.
In this concept, I would be ok with Edwin VanCleef leaving Standard, but Xaril is just underwhelming, despite being absolutely cool: the card should probably be buffed to (3), in order to make it decently relevant. At (4) it's basically out of the game (powerlevel has rised a lot since Old Gods).
I think some of the custom cards are too clunky.
On a sidenote, I'd love to see a Pirate-y spell that shoots with a pistol for moderate damage [2 for (2)] and as Combo equips a scimitar or a short blade of sorts [a 1/3].
Nope, it's not fine, stats speak for themselves. Odd DH needs not to be erased, but certainly nerfed some more. In particular, it has way more reach than Odd Rogue, and that's what marks the difference.
Odd DH is the best deck in the meta, while also being the most popular.
The latest nerfs are really too marginal for how Odd DH works: Tempo, Snowball, Reach/Burst damage.
I'm not sure of what I suggested, but certainly some core odd-costed DH card needs to be nerfed way harder than they did so far, and warglaives is basically the last untouched card, together with Metamorphosis.
Man you keep misreading what I write.
"The rest [from "the best decisions at each turn"] is laughable RNG, AND maybe some extra experience"
I don't make winning sound like pure RNG, that's just what you understood. Please read more carefully.
[Hearthstone Card (Raza the unchained) Not Found] + [Hearthstone Card (shadowreaper) Not Found] anduin is a misleading comparison: the HP from DK is a specific one, which you can deckbuild around. Finley changes your HP to an unpredictable one: even if a card like raza the unchained was released for Paladin, Finley would still be a weak Highlander card, because of lack proper synergy.
Finley is basically this: moderately random raw power.
That's why an aldor attendant buff would make him substantially better (even if still quite bad, but at least not the worst anymore, arguably).
C'thun was a full-Neutral set, so it's ok that some classes can benefit more than others.
But here we're talking of CLASS Highlander cards. Without a Kazakus available to make up for Class variability.
Inkmaster solia is indeed a good example of a failed Highlander card. But it was correctly replaced with Reno the Relicologist (Mage is currently the class with the most Highlander support, and Reno Mage is a solid meta deck, so it's ok if one of their cards is actually bad).
The suggestions I made were just the minimal buffs that came up to me, as to make them realistic ones, in tune with recent buffs that were actually delivered by the devs. And certainly without the risk of breaking the meta, neither in Standard, nor in Wild. Because the number of options available for Discovery is higher than the available choice.
Surely, an entirely different design could also work. Definitely.
But really, it would be just that easy to make it fair already, especially if we consider it is at (2) probably just because of a potential bias by the community.
I guess I'll hold my hopes for a Rotation buff set!
As you said, Reno here acts as an insurance vs Aggro games, when you fail to outtempo them.
My whole point about the "necessity" word was about making Sir Finley of the Sands as useful as his comrades from Uldum. Thos have immediate impact, Finley cannot, so he could use a better statline (1/3 at (1)), in order to have better chances of tutoring him, as well as having one extra turn on-curve to benefit from the HP (if you manage to mulligan him ofc). Basically ALL classes in Wild can have major benefits from a Highlander list (be it meta or offmeta), while the window for that in Paladin is extremely narrow (and will always be because of the design limitation in the class, ie. no efficient board clears). Paladin does not, despite receiving an additional Highlander card.
People are judging Sir Finley of the Sands as if he was Baku the Mooneater on steroids, but he's not, because of Battlecry AND Discover.
Ofc nothing in this game is necessary, not even the game itself.
I also made this thread before having the card, because I already was sure of his outcome. While, on the other hand, I would have crafted him long ago if he was a 1/3 for (1) (in the same way I crafted Elise the Enlightened), not because of him being OP in that way, but because I like little cards that require deckbuilding and with subtle impact in the games. Subtle, but no marginal. At (2) he's still subtle, sometimes game-winning, but ecceedingly marginal for a Highlander card.
I know legendaries could be bad. But this is a Highlander Legendary, not a random The Boogeymonster.
If it turns out to be not good enough even in Wild, it means the card is just not good enough. Cards don't live in the empty space, but in context. And there is no context for which a DISCOVERED HP can carry you for a game, unless it reliably kicks in as soon as possible.
PS: as others have mentioned, all the Uldum Explorers have the same body as their previous iterations. The fact that Finley is different suggests he WAS 1/3 for (1), but he was tuned to (2). Probably because the devs were afraid of giving to the Standard players PTSD after Even/Odd. But obviously that's not the case. It can't be, because of Discover filter (ie can't build proper synergy).
As a partial OT, following all the replies that argued that sir finley is fine, I actually crafted the card and built this Tempo Reno Paladin in Wild. It doesn't make me change my mind over the necessity of a buff on Sir Finley of the Sands, and the card itself performs quite poorly even in this deck, which is basically built around him (it's Aggro/Tempo because slower Midrange doesn't exist in Wild, not without OTK or so much Value that Paladin can only dream about), but overall the deck is quite good.
Focus on making and enjoying the best decisions AT EACH TURN. Take your time solving the puzzle.
The rest is laughable RNG, and maybe some extra experience (in optimally predicting your opponent's possible moves, and your possible future powerturns), but not your fault anyway.
So enjoy your final rush, whatever the outcome.
May Nozdormu the Timeless be with you.
Well, Elysiana kinda disappeared after the nerf. It should probably be reverted at least upon next Rotation (she's not dangerous for Wild).
For Standard:
Even assuming you got a 1/3 in t1 every game (which is impossible, chances are lower than 50% if I remember well), there is no way it can turn as strong as Prince Keleseth was: because no upgraded hero power can be as overwhelming as cards, especially when you can't get the HP you want 100% of the time (so there is always a double RNG filter: card draw AND Discover).
Moreover, Highlander restriction is much harder than Prince restriction. And Prince was deemed oppressive by many, but it was never nerfed.
For Wild:
Same as above: have you ever seen Highlander Tempo (Tempo because Sir Finley of the Sands can provide survival, but it can't provide Value to fight toe to toe against a real Control deck) decks toppling the meta? Secret Mage tried and failed, it never became meta, and for a reason: Tempo requires consistency, and Highlander disrupts that, no matter what.
There will always be cards that are more optimal than others, and for Consistency of Tempo you must use both copies of the optimal cards, and ditch the others. Reno decks improve with the release of key Reno cards, while if the generic pool improves, the Doubleton deck is generally better than its Reno counterpart: ie Control Cubelock vs Renolock right now (despite Warlock having insane legendary cards).
I am really baffled at people being against a Sir Finley of the Sands at 1/3 for (1), both in Standard and even moreso in Wild, where Reno Paladin is nowhere near meta, less so a dangerous deck for meta balance. It would just become slightly more satisfying to play for offmeta junkies...
Its potential in Wild would still be very limitedly reliable, given the Discover nature of the card, which is also bound to Highlander restriction, let's not forget it (Odd DH is a full-blown synergic deck built around the HP, Sir Finley can't do that, not even wit the Start of the Game buff suggestion).
I mean, in Wild we have stuff like [Hearthstone Card (Raza the Unchained) Not Found] and Shadowreaper Anduin, a buffed Sir Finley of the Sands pales in front of those (Raza buffs ANY HP in the game, Sir Finley binds you to his choices, and DK Anduin is easily repeatable with any cards, while upgraded HP is not) Or in front of Kazakus himself tbh, who is much more versatile with his double layer of Discovery.
Let's be honest here: there's zero chances that buffing Sir Finley of the Sands gets him even close to the consistency and power level that the devs agreed to provide to many cards in this game, Highlander or not. As long as it is a Discover that randomly offers 3 of 10 options.
And buffs don't really clash with each other. I mean, just look at the great Boomsday Buff patch: most buffs went completely forgotten and didn't really contribute to their classes, in either modes. So what Paladin needs the most right now in Standard is beyond the point of buffing this specific card.
Until his release, the card was debated between skepticals and those who saw potential in this card.
Turns out the card's main weakness is how early you can draw and play it: you need to play the upgraded HP at least a few times, in order to get value from the card.
Which is a bummer, comparing it to the other Highlander cards.
So why not buffing the guy?
A) There are many ways, but an easy one to me is just giving the Aldor Attendant treatment and buff Sir Finley of the Sands to a 1/3 for (1). This would give two benefits:
B) Another option would be to turn his effect into a Start of the Game. It would reduce the adaptability of the choice, since you still don't know your opponent besides their class, but I think it would still be a great improvement, and smart players would still be able to predict correctly the best choice, or at least the beneficial jack-of-all-trades choice. This would remove the card draw RNG, leaving the Discover RNG only.
Given the Discover nature of the card (3 random options of 10) I am fairly sure there is hardly any way to make the card suddenly broken (you can never build the deck around specific HP anyway), so any buff would be pretty safe, and it would give Highlander Paladin a chance to shine a bit more, at least as an offmeta deck, and we all know Highlander is always a favored archetype for many, so making it better viable on more classes would be a really smart move.
Further arguments in favor of buffing him here:
For Standard:
Even assuming you got a 1/3 on t1 every game (which is impossible, chances are lower than 50% if I remember well), there is no way it can turn as strong as Prince Keleseth was: because no RANDOM upgraded HP can be as overwhelming as upgraded CARDS. So there is always a double RNG filter on Finley: card draw AND Discover (whereas Prince only has one level of RNG).
With a random HP, you can never build the deck around one synergy.
For Wild:
Same as above: have you ever seen Highlander Tempo (Tempo because Sir Finley of the Sands can provide survival, but it can't provide Value to fight toe to toe against a real Control deck) decks toppling the meta? Secret Mage tried and failed, it never became meta, and for a reason: Tempo requires consistency, and Highlander disrupts that, no matter what.
There will always be cards that are more optimal than others, and for Consistency of Tempo you must use both copies of the optimal cards, and ditch the others. Reno decks improve with the release of key Reno cards, while if the generic pool improves, the Doubleton deck is generally better than its Reno counterpart: ie Control Cubelock vs Renolock right now (despite Warlock having insane legendary cards).
Finally, The fact Paladin may benefit more from other cards has nothing to do with buffing Finley. It's a false conflict (and not an argument here).
So what do you think?
Do you see better ways to buff Sir Finley of the Sands as he deserves?
Ah sad news, but it's a sensible choice.
I hope the virtual something can be satisfying enough.
I adjusted according to meta reports AND my own experience.
I did NOT adjust according to the previous 2-3 opponents, but according to stats.
Also, I was able to apply the correct techs, that is something that is still good against most other matchups. Not just hard counters to some cards. And I did it in a deck I was already confident about.
Finally, adjusting against local ranks is not a foolproof activity that grants you wins. It just improves your chances to win, and only if you can do it optimally (ie the meta is quite specific as to have counters against a variety of decks, as it was in my case).
In my only case of Legend climb attempt (few minutes ago), it was in Wild, which is possibly easier.
But I made it by taking a deck that proved strong to me (Discolock) and tuned it against the meta I was expecting and actually encountering: in Wild it was full of board&weapon Aggro, so I went for Freeze package (3 cards, not just 1), and it worked really well.
So maybe trying to tech against the meta may help. I don't know how to counter Standard higher meta, or if it is possible at all, but the principle should be of some help.
PS: and yes, as og0 suggested, you need the right state of mind: get rid of expectations, you already reached a great result. Anything that comes now from D4 and on should be taken as a gift. Just play at your best and try to laugh at your bad luck when it happens. Legend rank is a side effect.
I think he doesn't read DR at all.
Which is ok actually, but he should simply consider better the average value of a DR, and offer a proper reaction, at least when available mana is enforced, at least in one of 3 options
This is the list I used from D3 to Legend:
I am still unconvinced of Kanrethad Ebonlocke (sometimes bonkers, sometimes just a 3/2 soft taunt). I never got to play [Hearthstone Card (kanrethad prime,) Not Found] so I think in this meta he can be replaced with a second Frozen Shadoweaver.
I think Freeze is much better than Taunt, because the former subverts initiative.
Maiev Shadowsong can probably be replaced with Loatheb.
F2P here, since TGT.
I never, NEVER wanted to grind for Legend, because I always found it extremely stressful: I always limited myself to r5 and then play my own homebrews.
But with the new system, I must say I felt more lured to it, because there were less stars between D5 and L.
And I actually succeded today without even too much of a grind! Legend for the first time!
I used a Wild Discolock with Freeze package (which worked wonders against DH, PW and mirror). Rank 29xx (can't remember).
I am quite happy with the achievement. Although now I'm not sure it was so much of an achievement tbh, it didn't feel that hard. And I'm not even sure I want to play meta decks for grinds to Diamond ever again?
But well, cheers to me for today!
About whiffs, I think Zephrys the Great is still quite clumsy about evaluating when to give you a tech against Secrets and Deathrattles.
On (0) left he offered me no Silence against the only Expired Merchant on board (nothing else). In 3 options. wth...
I definitely like the concept on strength and weaknesses, that's a really good way to merge class flavour with game mechanics.
I like the real plan less.
In particular, I think cards like SI:7 Agent are the epitome of how Rogue should work: damage from hand, together with moderate board presence. Or sneaky moderate board presence with stealth, which you can setup with Cold Blood. Since the Agent is pretty balanced, he should stay.
In this concept, I would be ok with Edwin VanCleef leaving Standard, but Xaril is just underwhelming, despite being absolutely cool: the card should probably be buffed to (3), in order to make it decently relevant. At (4) it's basically out of the game (powerlevel has rised a lot since Old Gods).
I think some of the custom cards are too clunky.
On a sidenote, I'd love to see a Pirate-y spell that shoots with a pistol for moderate damage [2 for (2)] and as Combo equips a scimitar or a short blade of sorts [a 1/3].
Updated the list (not the guide yet sorry) with AoO.
Pack Tactics and Scavenger's Ingenuity gave the deck further consistency.
I added back one Explosive Trap against the current Aggro meta, I might have to find room for one more.
Nope, it's not fine, stats speak for themselves. Odd DH needs not to be erased, but certainly nerfed some more. In particular, it has way more reach than Odd Rogue, and that's what marks the difference.
Odd DH is the best deck in the meta, while also being the most popular.
The latest nerfs are really too marginal for how Odd DH works: Tempo, Snowball, Reach/Burst damage.
I'm not sure of what I suggested, but certainly some core odd-costed DH card needs to be nerfed way harder than they did so far, and warglaives is basically the last untouched card, together with Metamorphosis.